New build time and this one is going to be a Firewall/Router for my home network. I need a high performance router to handle the frequent DDoS attacks we keep getting which when they occur completely lock up my current router disconnecting all our computers, IP Cameras, Phones and Tablets.
Plus it has a lot of side benefits. Incredible performance, better security and lots of plugins which can be installed without restarting the router to further enhance functionality.
The operating system I'll be using on this computer is called PFSense. It's a free software based Firewall/Router solution that competes with $10,000 appliances from Cisco, Sophos and Juniper.
System Specifications:
1 x Asrock H97M PRO4 Motherboard
1 x Intel Pentium G3220 CPU (Includes Fan)
1 x Corsair CM 450W 80+ Gold Power Supply
1 x Kingston 4GB USB Memory Stick
1 x SanDisk 32GB Cache SSD
1 x Silverstone HTPC Case (I think, may change)
1 x Intel I340-4T Quad Port Ethernet Adapter
2 x 4GB Mushkin 1600MHz DDR3 Memory
If you've seen my previous builds you'll probably think, huh that's it? - Not many parts. Well that's because this is quite a physically small build. I want it to not use much electricity and just sit dutifully doing firewall and routing tasks in silence.
The part that really ties this build together is the Intel i340-4T quad port ethernet adapter. It's a really good bit of kit. It's remarkable in that it only uses 4.3 Watts of power maximum and in my home it will likely use less than 1 Watt on average. It came out in 2010 but that is actually quite new for network cards, they don't get new chips every year like graphics cards do.
The reason I'm mentioning this card at all is because it's very advanced and very expensive. £250-£300 in the UK but I managed to get mine for just £50 brand new by keeping my eyes peeled for good deals over the past 2 months. The reason I wanted this particular card is its low power consumption and best in class performance. You really can't get a card faster than this without stepping up to the "sell your first born" priced 10Gb cards which need heatsinks bigger than some graphics cards due to the heat they output.
Here are some picture of the components, I'll post my own photos once I get all the parts together. Of course doing a build like this so close to Christmas will mean delays. I'm not expecting to complete my build until January at the earliest.
Intel Network Card:
And I think the other stuff is pretty self explanatory. Memory and CPU's all look very similar.
Happy Holidays
